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Around Noon based at Greenbank in Newry has acquired Drogheda company Simply Fit Food, which supplies a range of convenience meals made from wholesome, natural ingredients online as well as through multiple and convenience retailers.
The deal will see Simply Fit Food, which is based in Drogheda, continue to trade under its existing brand within the Around Noon group. Evelyn Garland and Luke Judge, the founders of Simply Fit Food, will remain shareholders and continue to operate and manage the business as a unit within Around Noon.
Around Noon has been in business for 30 years and employs over 300 people. It supplies a broad range of high-quality sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit pots and cold pressed juices to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafes.
The deal is the latest in a series of acquisitions made by Around Noon, including the purchase of London-based Chef-in-a-Box from Donegal Investment Group Plc in 2017. Around Noon also markets bakery items from its in-house operation, Sweet Things, which it acquired from Dublin-based owners in 2016.
As part of the purchase of Simply Fit Food, Around Noon plans to invest substantially in a refresh of its brand and product range, including an investment in new environmentally friendly packaging. Its ambitious plans include doubling Simply Fit Food’s annual sales in just 12 months and creating a stronger presence for the brand in multiple and convenience retail.
Gareth Chambers CEO of Around Noon says that the purchase is strategically very significant for the company: “This acquisition will provide us with a foothold in a new and fast-growing segment of the market. Sales of health-related foods grew to over £773million in the UK last year and 64 percent of UK consumers say they have purchased health foods. This is only likely to grow further.”
“There is a fantastic synergy between the two companies and the opportunity to cross-sell between our respective client-bases. Luke and Evelyn have created a strong brand and their business shares a very similar ethos to Around Noon, as a company that is passionate about healthy food and about serving its customers. We very much look forward to working with Luke and Evelyn and to growing the business strongly together,” he adds.
Evelyn Garland and Luke Judge, founders of Simply Fit Food said: “We have watched Around Noon make a real impact in the food-to-go-space across the UK and Ireland. We have been so impressed by the team’s energy, drive, and ability to continuously spot trends in the market early and capitalise on them. It’s a great coming together of two very complementary businesses and we are incredibly excited about the opportunity.”
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Brian Reid, CEO Director of Deli-Lites was named International Director of the Year at the annual Institute of Directors Northern Ireland (IoD NI) Director of the Year Awards sponsored by AIB.
The awards were held in September and hosted virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Brian co-founded the firm in 1998 and is responsible for the day to day running of over 10 bustling departments from production, new product development, sales, marketing, and packaging.
Other recipients included Michael McCormack of Musgrave Group who was named the Large Business Director of the Year award while David Henry of Henry Brothers received the Family Business Director of the Year Award.
This year’s full winners were:
Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice, sponsored by AIB – Brendan Mooney, Kainos Group
Director of the Year – Non-Executive, sponsored by Deloitte – Diana Fitzsimons
Director of the Year – Innovation, sponsored by KPMG – Daniel Crawford, Axial3D
Director of the Year – Young, sponsored by Carson McDowell - Glenn Speer, Fane Valley
Director of the Year - Public Sector, sponsored by Capita Managed IT Solutions Professor Nola Hewitt Dundas - Head of Management School, QUB
Director of the Year - Third Sector, sponsored by Capita Managed IT Solutions – Lynn Carvill, WOMEN’STEC
Director of the Year - Family Business, sponsored by BDO Northern Ireland – David Henry, Henry Bros
Director of the Year – International, sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland – Brian Reid, Deli-Lites
Director of the Year - Small to Medium Business, sponsored by Ulster University Business School – Sinead Higgins, Decision Time
Director of the Year – Inclusivity, sponsored by ABL Group – John Healy OBE, Allstate
Director of the Year - Large Business, sponsored by Amplifi Solutions – Michael McCormack, Musgrave Group
The inaugural Philanthropist of the Year, Community Foundation Northern Ireland award, which was awarded to Alan Nappin of the ARN Foundation.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Gordon Milligan, IoD NI Chairman, said “A huge congratulations to all this year’s winners, once again proving that the economy here in Northern Ireland benefits from a wealth of leadership talent across the private and public sector, each of them performing to the very highest standards.”
Speaking about their support for the awards Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB UK, said “Leadership has been seriously tested in the last few months across all walks of life and will be crucial as we tackle the twin challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic fallout and the impending Brexit implications. As we emerge from lockdown and begin to focus on rebuilding the economy, what better time to recognise and showcase the leaders making a real difference here in Northern Ireland.
“We are proud to support the IoD Director of the Year Awards once again and view it as an important platform to do just that. We would like to congratulate Brendan Mooney and indeed all the category winners on their exemplary leadership skills. They all demonstrate a clear commitment to strong and innovative leadership that is undoubtedly contributing to the success of their respective organisations and Northern Ireland as a whole. Celebrating their achievements at this time will hopefully encourage others to follow suit and invest in their own leadership journeys.”
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Newry and Armagh MLA Liz Kimmins has encouraged local social enterprises to apply to the Social Enterprises Fund that Communities Minister Caral Ni Chuilin launched in late September. You can find out more information and apply up to Friday 23 October 2020 at COMMUNITYFINANCEIRELAND.COM
Ms Kimmins said “Social enterprises are the bedrock of many communities throughout the North, providing invaluable services and wide-ranging products.
“The COVID19 pandemic has had a detrimental on businesses, with social enterprises facing a period of great difficulty.
“This fund will provide financial support for social enterprises and hopefully allow them to stabilise finances to prevent the closure of businesses and loss of employment.
"Sinn Féin will continue to do all that we can in government to support communities, businesses and workers throughout this pandemic."
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A well known name in the logistics sector for many years, Trans Europe Express (TEE) is celebrating 30 years in business this month.
The family owned international freight forwarding company based in Warrenpoint arranges all types of freight, transporting cargo to and from Scandinavia in particular.
Vincent McGovern, Owner and Founder of Trans Europe Express said, “Our industry has changed considerably in the last 30 years in relation to advancement of technology etc. but what hasn’t changed is the need, as an island, to be able to transport goods in and out easily.
“We are facing one of the most challenging periods in our history with the uncertainty still around Brexit which will happen in two months’ time, and also dealing with a global pandemic.”
Vincent continued, “We are however resilient; we have fine-tuned our business over a proud 30-year history and we know that we, and those in our industry will effectively deal with what comes our way.
“We haven’t been able to celebrate this milestone how we would have liked to have done, with our customers and our friends. We do however hope, over the course of our anniversary year to be able to mark the occasion in a number of smaller ways. We would like to thank all our customers, key partners, employees and business associates who have supported our family in TEE over the past 30 years. We look forward to many more significant milestones.”
More than three years ago Vincent was joined in the business, by his son, Ryan McGovern. Ryan has been learning the trade for the last three years and is planning for future growth.
Ryan said, “We’re all very proud in the family of the business that dad and mum, along with their colleagues, have built up over the years. I have really enjoyed learning about the industry and understanding the operational side of the business over the last three years. It is a very precarious time and one which is filled with uncertainties but there are also opportunities. We have been working hard to make sure that we are Brexit ready to give our customers confidence and to keep freight moving. I look forward to continued growth in the future.”
Trans Europe Express offers an extensive range of freight services, providing solutions to businesses in Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK, Europe and further afield.
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Newry BID with its partners and stakeholders has scooped a major all island award in the Bank of Ireland ‘Begin Together’ Awards. The awards recognise the spirit of enterprise and resilience in towns and cities right across the island of Ireland.
Newry picked up the ‘City Award’, beating off stiff competition in the final from Grafton Street in Dublin. Newry will receive the sterling equivalent of €10,000 for the award. The judges were particularly impressed with the VIP shopper fob implemented across Newry city centre to offer incentives and awards to customers as well as track data. The winners were announced live on Twitter by Tommy Bowe with the overall winner- Kinsale, County Cork announced shortly afterwards on Virgin Media’s Ireland AM.
Eamonn Connolly, Newry BID Manager said, “We are absolutely overwhelmed to win. It is a real testament to the partnership work that goes on behind the scenes here in Newry in creating a safe, friendly and enjoyable place to live, work and do business. We have a tremendous number of partners who work in collaboration with us and help make things happen. On behalf of the Board and members of Newry BID I would like to thank them for all their work. This is a fantastic team effort.
“We already have a number of projects lined up with our partners which this award will help fund and we hope to announce this in due course. I would like to thank Bank of Ireland and the team of judges for recognising the effort that goes on between local partners in Newry. This is a really difficult time for everyone not least the businesses in our city centre. This win will be a real boost for us all and we hope to see everyone benefit, in even a small way from the win.”
Paul Slevin, Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland Newry said, “We are absolutely delighted to get a win here in Newry. Bank of Ireland is at the heart of communities across the island. We can see the impact that this pandemic is having on businesses large and small, so I am delighted that some of this prize fund is coming to Newry. The work that Newry BID, its partners and other organisations do around our city is phenomenal. The win is very well deserved. On behalf of myself and the local team I would like to thoroughly congratulate Eamonn, the BID team and all its partners on delivering this tremendous boost for our city when we need it most.”
A full list of winners and information about the event can be found on Bank of Ireland social media. Further information about Newry BID and its work can be found at Newry.com
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A move to Newry by Shelbourne Motors has contributed towards an increase in profit for the business.
The family-owned vehicle retailer made a pre-tax profit of £1.4m in 2019 an increase on the previous year.
The increase coincides with the family-owned vehicle retailer celebrating the one-year anniversary of the official opening of its £5m multi-franchise complex in Newry.
The opening of the Newry complex has increased Shelbourne Motors’ total workforce by 25% in 2019 with 150 full-time and part-time staff across its Portadown and Newry sites.
Shelbourne Motors operates Toyota, Renault, Nissan, Kia and Dacia franchises, as well as a Used Car Supermarket - AutoSelect, Accident Repair Centre, Vehicle Rental Division, Fleet company and a Valet Centre.
Caroline Willis, Financial Director of Shelbourne Motors, said: “Shelbourne Motors is delighted to recognise that many strategic objectives around the growth of the business have been successfully delivered in 2019, and this can be translated with the company’s strong financial performance.
“The Newry facility was not forecast to make a profit in the first year of operation, in line with many newly opened motor retail franchise businesses, so to be able to record a 17% increase in annual profits is a testament to the strength and growth of our brand.
“Our 2019 performance has strengthened our position as one of Northern Ireland’s leading vehicle retailers, and I would like to thank the hard work and commitment of our dedicated teams across Newry and Portadown who continue to deliver exceptional service to our loyal and ever-expanding customer base.”
Shelbourne Motors has bounced back from the coronavirus lockdown to record a strong sales performance over the summer in new and used cars, as well as after sales services.
Paul Ward, Sales Director at Shelbourne Motors, said: “We have seen significant growth in both New and Used cars since the re-opening of the showrooms in June. We are trading ahead of expectations and are very optimistic that this trend will continue. New car offers across our brands are very strong and we have seen a real demand for EV/Hybrid models, which is a change to the traditional diesel market.”
For more information on Shelbourne Motors please visit: www.shelbournemotors.com
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JMK Solicitors, are celebrating after being awarded the prestigious Lexcel Quality Mark. The Lexcel scheme, administered by the Law Society recognises firms which achieve excellence in legal practice management and client care.
Based in Newry and Belfast, the popular firm was awarded the Lexcel Quality Mark for the third year in a row following a rigorous assessment process.
Writing in their report, the assessor lauded the company’s compliance as being at “a very high standard.”
Highlighting twelve areas of good practice, the Lexcel assessors described JMK Solicitors as “going above and beyond compliance with the standard”.
And with JMK Solicitors now achieving the award for the third year in a row, the assessors commented, “In fact, no non-compliances have been raised in the company’s three year certification history.”
The assessor also spoke about the leading NI firm’s consistent investment in staff and technology. “The company has continued to make ongoing efficiency improvements in the past year and points of particular note are the company’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, launch of the bespoke Client App, and issue of the JMK Court Guide.”
Praising the leading law firm’s response to COVID-19 as “nothing short of excellent”, the assessors determined that operations “continued seamlessly” and said an internal staff survey resulted in high levels of satisfaction. The assessor said JMK was an example “not only to the legal sector…but all employers in the province”.
Speaking about JMK Solicitors’ widely published work-week reduction from 37.5 hours to 30 hours, the assessors concluded that the reduction in work hours without compromising output, performance or remuneration was “nothing short of an amazing achievement”.
Maurece Hutchinson, Managing Director at JMK Solicitors, commented, “We are delighted to have been awarded the Lexcel Quality Mark for the third year in a row.
“The award is a testament to the hard work, dedication and professionalism of our team of over 60 people, who go above and beyond to help clients.
“We’re committed to providing the best possible client experience, and it was great to read the assessor’s glowing report about our new bespoke Client App.”
She continued, “As a specialist law firm operating solely in the area of personal injury claims and road traffic accidents, we will continue to make a significant investment in our IT system and staff development to ensure we maintain the high standard set by the Lexcel quality mark and accreditation.”
Maurece said the highly prized quality mark would give current and prospective clients of the leading law firm ‘confidence and assurance’.
“This award lets people know that they are dealing with a respected, reputable firm that works above and beyond recognised standards,” she adds.
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With University students stranded in halls of residence, as a result of Covid-19 a local food delivery service has decided to offer a service which delivers fresh food to the students.
Roadrunner owned by Eamon Breen are offering relatives of students the opportunity to purchase a student food bundle or a customised basket to be delivered fresh from local suppliers directly to the student accommodation. To make the ordering of supplies as easy as possible there is Roadrunner App or alternatively orders can be placed at: WWW.ROADRUNNERSHOPPING.COM
As a former student who lived for several years in the student Holylands area of Belfast, Eamon said that he understood from first hand experience, that when living away from home you can sometimes end up living on bare basics, but at least you could get out to socialise, which strangely enough could make the lack of food less of an issue.
In consideration of students who are having to isolate, Eamon took the initiative to make a financial contribution from his own business and contacted some of his local suppliers for food donations. Although many Northern Ireland businesses are finding trading conditions challenging at this time, Eamon was impressed by the response and said that individual businesses, for example, Ballylisk Dairies, Cunningham Butchers in Kilkeel, Dailyfresh, French Village, and Mourne eggs as well as other suppliers donated produce.
Roadrunner shopping is supporting local farmers and food businesses and delivers fresh, high quality food, direct from the supplier to the door. The service provides a vital support to the vulnerable and shielding, as well as the elderly, and has been expanding the range of delivery area, which currently covers from Newry to Belfast and surrounding areas.
This service is available to everyone and orders placed before 12 noon have the option for next day delivery. The “food to students” story was picked up by the Nolan show, and following a live interview, Roadrunner received a generous contribution from the University College Union at Queen’s and this money was used to purchased food, which was straightaway delivered to students. The total value of food delivered exceeded £2500 and is testament to the Northern Ireland community spirit.
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Joseph Doherty, Managing Director of Re-Gen Waste, has become one of only 115 people, to be awarded a Fellowship by the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management.
Being awarded a Fellowship of CIWM demonstrates that you are a leading professional in the sector and serves as a formal acknowledgement of your considerable achievements in the field of resources and waste management.
Similar to Chartered Resource and Waste Managers, Fellows are peer-assessed to ensure they meet the required criteria and can make the necessary commitment required for Fellowship.
Applicants must demonstrate their distinguished accomplishments in the sector and commit to upholding the highest levels of professionalism.
Sarah Poulter, CEO of CIWM said: “I am delighted to welcome all of our successful applicants into the small, but prestigious group of CIWM Fellows. Congratulations to you all.
“They join a total of just 115 of our members, and although their number is small, collectively, our CIWM Fellows have a big impact on the resources sector.”
On receiving his Fellowship, Joseph said: “I am delighted to be awarded the CIWM Fellowship. The process was straightforward and the award itself, is a reflection of the highest professional achievement and recognition of leadership, in the Waste Sector.”
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